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Dell EMC Configuration Guide for the S3100 Series 9.14.2.4

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NIC Teaming

NIC teaming is a feature that allows multiple network interface cards in a server to be represented by one MAC address and one IP address in order to provide transparent redundancy, balancing, and to fully utilize network adapter resources.

The following illustration shows a topology where two NICs have been teamed together. In this case, if the primary NIC fails, traffic switches to the secondary NIC because they are represented by the same set of addresses.

Figure 1. Redundant NICs with NIC Teaming
Illustration of Redundant NICs with NIC Teaming.

When you use NIC teaming, consider that the server MAC address is originally learned on Port 0/1 of the switch (shown in the following) and Port 0/5 is the failover port. When the NIC fails, the system automatically sends an ARP request for the gateway or host NIC to resolve the ARP and refresh the egress interface. When the ARP is resolved, the same MAC address is learned on the same port where the ARP is resolved (in the previous example, this location is Port 0/5 of the switch). To ensure that the MAC address is disassociated with one port and reassociated with another port in the ARP table, the no mac-address-table station-move refresh-arp command should not be configured on the Dell EMC Networking switch at the time that NIC teaming is being configured on the server.

NOTE If you have configured the no mac-address-table station-move refresh-arp command, traffic continues to be forwarded to the failed NIC until the ARP entry on the switch times out.
Figure 2. Configuring the mac-address-table station-move refresh-arp Command
Illustration of configuring the mac-address-table station-move refresh-arp command.

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